He was charged with sending child pornography material after being arrested by detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad during a vehicle stop in Moore Park on the 6th April, with police alleging he “was engaged in sexually explicit conversations about children with an adult male and discussed child pornography.”

In the lead up to his arrest, police raided his office at Channel Nine’s Sydney offices, searching the entire ACA office at Willoughby before seizing his computer on site.

They also raided his home and removed computers, a mobile phone, and electronic storage devices.

Days after his arrest, McCormack was admitted to hospital, and missed at least one court appearance as a result of his psychological state, with his lawyer Sam Macedone presenting a medical certificate as evidence that the reporter was in hospital.

The charges of sending child pornography using a carriage service has a maximum jail sentence of 15 years.